Tobacco-stemming machine



Feb. 10,1931. z u 1,792,207

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE Filed Feb. 2; 1928 s Sheets-Sheet 1 1N VEN TOR.

E lTTORNEYS.

Feb. 10, 1931. L. H. ZEUN TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE Filed Feb. 23 192 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

By W

ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 10, 1931.

| H. Z EUN TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE Filed Feb. 23 192 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 10,1931

" (4 2w AND: i i i-ifibi TQ LB' B e y'e eee sermon ma ten; 1

newcomer/1mm MACHINE n pneetio sled February-23, 192s; fseri'arnoiesegser;

' LOUIS n.vzeumeeceeewevime; tienin enliQAss-ieivon on one-stamp redefine, r

L'lhis invention relates to'certainimprove; A stills further object of the the provisionof apair vof stern pullingrolle".v

ments in tobacco stemming or stripping ma: chines and particularly to that type of machine having stem pulling means, leaf con-a veyingmeans; and a stem engaging. means, all of said means co-acting so as to permit the leaves to be properly carried-to the stem pullin'g rollers, in order thatthe stemsinay be readily stripped from the leaves, v

the provision of resiliently yielding rollers, whereby the stems may be grasped and readily pulled'fronrtheleaves; 1

A further object oft-he invention is the 5 provision of stem pulling roll'ers, one of which is yieldableverticall'yso as to engage and accommodate stems of all sizes and'strip lea-vesin a contlnuous the same from the operat1on.;

the provision of a pair o'fstem pulling roll-- ers journaled in superposed 'relationand equipped with means 'a'tone of theirends, whereby stemsof all'isizesm'aybe readily fed I between the 'rotating-opposing faces of said rollers so-that said stems maybeeasily stripped from their r'es'pective-leavese A still further object or the invention-is the'provision o-fapair of rotatable stem pulling rollers having resilient surfaces;

equipped at one of their ends Withthreaded I portions, which constitute a feedingnieans of said rollers. 1 e

simultaneousrotation. 40 Anotherimportant obj ect ends of the rollers -i ththreads,- [which threads constitute a positive feeding-means to urgeithe stems-between theCQi tac-ting sur- The particular object of this invention is 0 A- still further ob'jeetof the invention is;

ing faces of said rollers;

, i i to urge the stem's'pf the tobacco leaves-into F and between theopposing contaeting--faces nae-met tion is the provision-of equipping cer tain I ers,. loner-of .Which' is relatifvely stationary laterally and vertieally, While the otheris" 'yieldablef vertically and laterally to permit stems of various sizes to befurged between; the'eopposing faces of said rollers' vvithoiit+ fear of crushing or breaking'isaid stems ing the pullingjor stripping "action.- e

A' sti'll further object "of the inventiea is l :the provision of a pair of stem pulling rollers .mounted in a suitable bearing, one' off Whielr rollers is yielda'ble-vertieallyin said bearing ,and is provided With a tensionin'g device so as col-normally 'urge andhold said-rollers in "contact with one anothere v V Austill further object e e a-(eaten is thej provision of a pair'- of stem pulling rollers 4 having one of their ends provided w'ith feed ing threads, thethreads of the stationary 'rollerbein in a continuous planawhile the threads of the opposite -'rolle'r"are tapered outwardly, the purpose of which ism con-- stitute 'a'throat-for re eiving: the stems in I their initial movementtowards the Contact With these and other objects in View, the

invention consists in certain novel features,

Will be hereinafter Inoreffully deserib'ed,'i'l lustrated in the i In the'dmwinge,

Figure 1 isa fragun'entary side elevational g 4 -V18W of a tobacco stemming machine; i-llustrating the assembly of my improved stem lling rollers;

combination and arrangement of-parts asi accompanying drawings, and 1; V

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View itaken on'the line 2 2-ofFi ure1-:; l s

taken .on' the line .33 of Figure 1';

partly broken away, illustr ngithe e Figure 3 .is let's-transverseQsectional :view,-;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary .detaiil edvievv i Figure 5 is a transverse sectional View, taken on the line 55 of Figure 4; V

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevational v ew, illustratingthe manner in which the yielding roller moves relatively to the stationary roller;

Figure 7 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, illustrating the machine assembled and ready for use; i c

Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view through the machine, illustratingthe initial movement of the leaf and its contact with therollers; and,

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view,

- illustrating the stem being pulled by the rollers from the leaf, which is a completion of the stripping action. a

Referring to the drawings, thenumeral 5 indicates a tobacco machine support having the usual traveling apron 6 thereon, upon which thetobacco leaves are placed to permit them to be fed to the machine. The machine 7 is also provided with the usual leaf carrying means 7 which is in the form of an endless convey-er having individual'teeth in which the stems of-the; tobacco leaves rest, and these leaves are held therein by a set of resiliently vertically moving fingers 8. This structure conveys the-leaftowardsthe stem pulling rollers 9 and 10, respectively, so that the stemmay be strippedvfrom the leaf during its travel over the table 11. o o c The rollers 9 and; 10, respectively, are the main portion of this invention, as the other structure referred to, particularly the sup port, apron and table, stem conveying and holding means, is old in the art, and is particularly described in the Louis H. Zeun appligcation Serial No. 210,490, fi1ed Auguste, l9 7. r i

The stempulling roller 9 isjournaled in a suitable bearing12 carried by the support 5 ofthe machine and is horizontallypositioned above said support, and this roller -9 is equipped with acore 13 and a resilient outer cover 14 with a top taped surface 15. One end of this roller 9 is cylindrical and provided'with suitable threads 16, which are in the same plane horizontally and extend: beyond the roller 10, as illustrated. The threaded terminal of said roller is journaled ina bracket 17, carried by the machine support 5. The opposite terminal of said roller extends laterally beyond its bearing 12 and is providedwith a gear 18, which gear meshes with a gear 19, carried on one end of the roller 10, so that the rotation of said rollers may be simultaneous and the speed thereof the same. a

The roller has its gear carrying end mounted in a rocking bearing 20, rocking on an axis transverse'to the rollers and this bearing is held by a suitable lag screw 21 to the bearing 12, as clearily'illustrated in Figure 2.

.The opposite end of said roller is tapered and provided with threads 21 and its free terminal is journaled, as at 24, in a bearing 25, carried by the rocking bearing 20. The bear ings and Y25 provide a yoke which permits this roller 10 automatically to be moved vertically withrelation to the roller 9, and the purpose of said movement being such as .to accommodate stems of various sizes without fear. of crushing or breaking action'on the stems during the pulling action of the rollers when stripping the stems from the leaves. In the present embodiment the longitudinal axis of the roller 10 is thus permitted angular shift relative to the axis of the roller 9.

ThelgearslS and 19, respectively, are" the threads 16 and 21, respectively, that the simultaneous rotation of said rollers will pull the stems from the leaves, due to the fact thatthe stems are gripped between the rollers and the blades abutted against the teeth of the. carrier 7 andtheyieldable holding members 8.

To provide a means to normally'hold the roller 10 in leaf-gripping relation to the roller with relation to the relatively stationary roller 9, so as topermitthe stems of various sizes to pass through said rollers without fear of crushing or breaking."

Secured to the machine support 5 adjacent the roller 9, is a chute 28, which chute disposes of the stems A,1when the same are severed from the tobacco leaves B.

It can be readily seenthat when tobacco leaves B are fed on the apron 6, that the stems A? are grasped by the carrier 7 and held therein by the members 8vuntil said stems engage the threads 16 of the roller 9, when they are immediately conveyed between the opposing faces of the rollers and the stripping action completed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is: a

li-A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination, a pair of rollers adapted mutually to cooperate to grip the stems of the leaves to be stemmed, means adapted to rotate said rollers, means adapted to convey the leaves to be stemmed for cooperating with said rollers to efiect stemming, and a 2. A tobacco stemming machine having,

in combination, a pair of rollers adapted mutually to cooperate togrip the stems of the leaves to be stemmed, means adapted to ing weight adjustableto vary the efi'ective rotate said rollers, means adapted to convey the leaves to be stemmed for cooperating. with sald rollers to effect stemming and a tensiongrlpping cooperative between. said rollers.

3. A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination, a pair of rollers adapted mutually to cooperate to grip'the stems of the leaves to be stemmed, means adapted to rotate said rollers, means adapted to convey the leaves to be stemmed for cooperating with said rollers to efiect stemming, each of said rollers having threads atone end for feeding the leaves longitudinally of and relative to the. rollers, the threaded surface of one roller being tapered and that of the other projecting outward beyond said tapered surface. i

l. A tobacco stemming machine having,

in combination, a pairof rollers adapted mutually to cooperate to grip the stems of the leaves to be stemmed, meansfadapted to rotate said rollers, means adapted to con-' one roller being tapered and that of the'other cylindrical.

5. A tobacco stemming machine having, 1n combination, a palr of rollers adapted mutually to cooperate to grip the stems of the leaves to be stemmed, means adapted to rotate said rollers, means adapted to convey the leaves to be stemmed for cooperating with said rollers to efi'ect stemming, and a rocking yoke in which each end of one of said rollers is j ournaled, the rocking axis of said yoke belng ad acent an end of the other roller.

7 6 A tobacco stemming machine having, 1n combmation, a palr of rollers adapted mutually to cooperate to grip the stems of the leaves to be stemmed, means adapted to tiially to cooperate to grip the stems of the leaves to be stemmed, means adapted to rotate said rollers, means. adapted to convey the .leaves to be stemmed for cooperating with said rollers to eiiect stemming, and an automatically rockable bearing which one of roller and 4extending .atransverselyc f said a r feeding the leaves longitudinally of and relsaid rollers, is: .jonrnaled. tjlfiQI' irotation,.zzeanh. ofsaid roller having 'thneadslatzone'endl tor i'eedingthe leavesrlongitudinally Lot and: rela-: tive :tosaid rollers,- the 1rockingzaxis-. o;t said A hearing being; adj acent an end: ioif gthe other};

rollers the-threadedsu ing tapered, r r w -8, :A- tobac'costemm ngrnachme having, 111: combination, a-pair of rollers-adapted inn-x 5: tuall'y" to cooperate to g rip the stems of the; leaves to be stemmed, means adapted to; ro -E tate said rollers, means adaptedtoaconvey the L lQZLVG-SgliG-bfi stemmed ior cooperating with said; rollers to effect stemming, and I an I'antomatic'allyfroclrable bearing inwhich one of. said rollers is'journaled for rotation, each of said rollers having threads at one end for feeding theleaves longitudinally otand rel-' ative to said rollers, the rocking axis of said bearing being-adjacent an end of the other ceotone roller b81211 roller and extending transversely of said rollers, thethreaded surface of one roller belng tate said rollers, means adapted to convey the leaves to be stemmed forcoop'erating with 5?:

said rollers to effect stemming, and an automatically rockable bearing in which one of said rollers is j ournaled for rotation, each of said rollers having threads at one end for 100 ative to said rollers, the rocking axis of said bearing being adjacent an end of the other; roller and extending transversely of said rollers, and a device adjustable for varying the gripping efiect of said rollers on the leaves therebetween. v

10. A tobacco stemming machine having,

in combination, a pair of rollers adapted mutually to cooperate to grip the stems ofthe leaves to be stemmed, means adapted to rotate said rollers, means adapted to convey the leaves to be stemmed for cooperating with said rollers to effect stemming, an automatically rockable bearing in which one of said rollers is journaled for rotation, each of said rollers having threads at one end for feeding the leaves longitudinally of and relative'to said rollers, the rocking axis of said bearing: being adjacent .anend of the other roller and extending transversely of said roll ers, and a roller tensioning device including a balance weight upheld by said bearing and adjustable to diflerent positions relative to said rockable bearing;

11. A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination, a pair of rollersv adapted mutually to cooperate to grip the stems oftheleaves to be stemmed, means adapted to rotatesaid rollers, means adapted to convey the leaves to be stemmed for cooperating v the gripping effect of said with said rollers toefiect stemming, an auto-- matically rockablelbearing in: which one of said 'rollersis journaled' for rotation,': each V of saidirollers having threads at one end for feedingthe leaves longitudinally, of vand relative to said rollers the rocking axis ofsaid bearing being adjacent an end of the other roller and extending transversely of said rollers, the threaded surfaceof one roll- 0 er being tapered and that of theother cylindrical, and a device adjustable for varying rollers on the leaves therebetween. 7

Intestimonywhereof he hereunto afiixes his signature.

'LOUIS H. ZEUN. 

